The Starry Heavens Above Us, and the Moral Law Within 2010

Anselm Kiefer made this artwork with what looks like paint, charcoal, and maybe some photographic elements? I love how Kiefer plunges us into this cosmic, melancholic space. Look at that night sky, thick with dark matter and exploding stars—it’s like he’s captured the universe's breath right there on the canvas. And then, the figure within the ruins. I imagine Kiefer, wandering through a bombed-out building, thinking about Kant, history, and the weight of German identity. You know, Kiefer is always dealing with the big stuff, right? He paints like a philosopher, layering meaning and material until the canvas groans under the weight. It's a conversation with art history, with Beuys, with all the artists who dare to ask, “What does it mean to be human?” And how can we make art that grapples with the toughest questions?